Organization of the Dwarves
The following are various forms of government held by the Dwarves at one point or another. Imperial Lords & Oligarchs Originally, upon the founding of the Dwarven Empire-Commonwealth, it was decided by Mitch and Aanker that every new member of the Dwarven Empire would have the title "Lord" bestowed upon them, and an allotment of land to work on and, eventually, found a new city in. This expansionistic policy ensured that not only would the new members be granted influence and a voice of their own in the Empire, but also some independence from the Commonwealth proper to settle their own state policies, such as architecture, infrastructure and, in the earliest days of the Dwarven Empire, to a limited extent, diplomacy. These Oligarchs would collectively make decisions, and the title of Imperial Lord thus held great weight even on a server-wide level, as the dwarves had no common representative and negotiations could take place with any of the members of the faction. Eventually, this disorder would give way for a consitution and democratic system. The First Constitution With the realization that the Dwarven Empire could not hope to effectively make decisions without some form of leadership, a simple constitution was drawn up. With this new document, officials would be elected by the Imperial Lords to hold certain offices of importance: these were that of the Emperor (elected only once, then holding that appointment for life), the Chancellor (the general leader of the Dwarven Empire-Commonwealth), the High Diplomat (representing all dwarves of the Commonwealth in negotiations with other factions) and the High Commander (whose responsibility it was to lead the dwarven military on a strategical and tactical level). With the addition of the Chief Miner and Architect, and merging of the Chancellor and High Diplomat offices, this system remained following the resurgence of the Empire, offering a simple way for decisions to be effectively made by officials appointed through elections, usually for their competence within one of the mentioned areas. This democratic system was most famously applied for a short time in the United Empire, and returned in similar form with the resurgence of the dwarves. The Emperor Highest of all offices is that of the Emperor. It is the role of the Emperor to be the face and ceremonial "living spirit" of the Dwarven Empire, and to raise the morale of the workers and soldiers of the Commonwealth. While lacking official power, the Emperor is still given special status, and may just like the Imperial Lords voice his opinion on matters of the Empire, often acting as a "Shadow Hand" supporting the Chancellor and High Commander in their duties. The Emperor is elected once, and remains on his throne for the duration of that particular Dwarven Empire reign on the server (King Sama ruled as Emperor on the old server, for instance). The Chancellor Elected by the Imperial Lords and members of the Dwarven Empire-Commonwealth, it is the task of the Chancellor to negotiate treaties with other factions, declare wars, and give general directions to the other offices of government. The Chancellor holds the power of the veto, but is not expected to use it except under extraordinary circumstances. The Chancellor is not allowed to appoint himself for life, even though a Chancellor may be allowed to extend his or her mandate beyond the expiration date in an emergency. The High Commander The High Commander is the elected chief of strategical and tactical operations. The task of this very prestigious office is to ensure that the Dwarven Empire remains intact, that its soldiers fight well and, most importantly, that victory is obtained. The High Commander is also responsible for any rogue operations, such as the secret defensive obtaining of enemy materials that may be used to cause harm on citizens of the Dwarven Empire, the remote and secret disposal of enemies that may hold interests interfering with those of the Dwarven Empire, etc. The Chief Miner and Architect An office that was introduced in the era of the United Empire, the Chief Miner and Architect's responsibility is to build the infrastructure and mines required to successfully conduct a greater war, to acquire and dispose of resources for the purpose of preparing for such a conflict, and to build defenses that impede the enemy's ability to strike at the dwarven heartland. The Chief Architect holds the highest power in deciding the layout of the dwarven cities, and the construction of traps, walls, and similar features, often in conjunction with the High Commander to satisfy military demands. The Second Constitution Adopted on March 16th following the collapse of the State during the Northern War. This Constitution was marked by the advent of a Lord-Chancellor position, with near universal powers and general control of Dwarven affairs. The Council of Lords existed as a bulwark against tyranny, and the heart of new Dwarven democracy, representing the Dwarven Lords in a principally legislative body. Granted the power to enact any laws within a shortened time-frame, change the constitution, appoint or remove the (otherwise indefinitely in place) Lord-Chancellor, and over-rule the decisions of the Chancellor provided a high level of internal support, the Council nevertheless was intended to defer most quick and non-controversial decisions to the Lord-Chancellor. This new, flexible, and much more streamlined government proved unopposed post-adoption, although at the time of writing it had not yet been tested in the trials of war or other national crisis (inactivity excluded). Amendments 1) Resurrected the positions of Commander and Architect, although now clearly defined as under the orders of the Chancellor. No elections are held for these positions, they are appointed by the Chancellor, and act as temporary leaders in times of crisis (the Architect during a period of peace, the Commander during a period of war) 2) Peace treaties need the support of the Council, provided the war lasted for over a week and included an enemy of more than four members. The New Empire During the 4th Era, Hilary_Duff established himself as Emperor, ruling over all of the Dwarves as an absolute monarch. The Emperor exercised his power to create military leaders, designate city planners and direct workflow within the empire. He was known only to show his wrath upon those who disobeyed his orders, and only had to use his powers to remove Josstwc from the faction. There was little dissent from the Dwarves and they were extremely please when the Emperor decided to reform the Empire, granting new titles to all. This structure was restored during the Sixth and Seventh Era. Imperial Reforms A new structure was laid out as such: : "Emperor -- Supreme authority, confirmed by Dwarven Lords monthly. Any Lord who dissents from a confirmation of authority must give a reason as to why he/she has done so. The Emperor embodies the spirit of the Empire and should always lead the Empire's forces in diamond armor. : Lord -- These members are responsible for looking after the Empire whilst the Emperor is away. Consultation of other Lords should always happen before a major decision. Lords in the Dwarven realm have the right to spend faction money. There can be no more than three Lords at a time. Lordship can be acquired by vote amongst Thegns, done as often as a Thegn Gathering is called. Lords have authority over Thegns, but this is granted on a temporary basis, despite there being no limit to the time spent as a Lord. : Thegn -- Dwarven Thegns are this Empire's backbone. Thegns produce, build, and fight for the Empire. Thegns have the right to call a Thegn Gathering, which is an assembly of all Thegns over the course of a few days in the Thegn's Hall. A Thegn Gathering is overseen by at least two of the three Lords. The Emperor does not interfere with the Thegn Gathering and confirms their choices or promises to hear out any grievances they may hold. Thegns give all they have to the faction's coffers and should record their offerings -- the Emperor pays attention to those who are productive. Being a Thegn is the highest honor in Dwarven society, as Lords are only confirmed by their peers. : Dweller -- These members of Dwarven society are not politically accountable. Their one goal is to toil and serve the Empire, in the hopes that they gain the right to become a Thegn. They should give as much wealth and labor as they possibly can for the right to become a Thegn. Some members may never reach the rank of Thegn and remain as Dwellers, if they are content to do so. Dwellers are not looked down upon in Dwarven society, but are instead acknowledged as not being the core of the Empire -- even if a strong and important aspect to the Empire." : - From the Re-Organization set forth by Emperor Hilary_Duff The 3rd Constitution The 3rd Constitution was established after the resignation of the Emperor, Hilary_Duff, and the decline of the Empire at the end of the Fourth Era. Realizing that they would no longer be able to stand alone, the Dwarves band together into a Commonwealth with nearby peoples. The Dwarves and the various cultures that reside within their protection governed themselves by following Sociocratic principles during peacetime. In times of war; however, an Autocratic military leader is chosen to rule the state until such time as peace is restored.